A successful Pack the Pit night at the rival game between Southwestern and the Rangers shows that NWOSU fans can be supportive of our teams.
The event included free bratwursts and hot dogs with chips, and that may have been the big draw for some.
However, the quality of play from the Lady Rangers is certainly worth coming to each game, even without the free food. The team is now 6-8 for the season and 3-1 in Great American Conference play.
Other sports also deserve support from the students, faculty, staff and the community — even when the team is having a less than stellar season. Excited fans can generate a buzz that the team can feel on the court or field. Players can feed off the excitement and ramp up their performance. Thus, the fans can be an integral part of a successful game.
According to a Los Angeles Times article, “Some people might shrug off the empty seats as simply an unfortunate detail. But, experts say, the size and intensity of the crowd can be an emotional wild card — an intangible factor that can influence an athlete’s performance. … In general, crowds can improve performance in sports that involve strength, endurance or teams. They also can prove beneficial in events that go on long enough for an athlete to get really tired.”
Clearly, Ranger fans understood this at Tuesday’s volleyball game. The stand were full, Band the crowd was loud.
However, other sports see less support, some just because of the nature of the sport. Golf, except on the professional level, isn’t really a spectator sport. Cross country is a difficult sport for fans to watch simply because the meets are never held in Alva. In either of these cases the kind of support fans can give might be different. Perhaps a congratulatory text, an encouraging email or just a “great job” with a high-five in passing can be sent to those athletes.
But putting butts in seats at the soccer and football games needs to be improved. And when the rodeo team sponsors a rodeo Oct. 26-28, we need to be at the fairgrounds, cheering our hearts out.
Certainly, the cheerleaders deserve kudos. They are trying to do their part even when the crowd may ignore them. They’ve been at the volleyball games this year, and the crowd feels the energy.
Let’s all do our part by attending games and cheering for our teams. We might just be the key to a win.
